Wages and Pay

Wages among the more 500,000 employees in
the meat and poultry industry are competitive
for positions that require no formal education
or pervious experience. Hourly workers in
packing plants earn, on average, $12.32 per
hour. Hourly workers in meat processing plants
earn $12.94 per hour, on average.

These hourly wages translate into more than
$25,000 a year in annual wages. By comparison,
in Iowa, the nationís largest pork state,
preschool teachers in 2007 earned $23,130;
nursing aides, orderlies and attendants earned
$23,160; security guards earned $24,350; and
hairdressers earned $23,400.